Meanwhile, Russia has repeatedly warned both Israel and the United States not to threaten Iran's nuclear development activities, and has often protected the Islamic Republic in the international arena.

Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov told Israel on Wednesday that any military action aimed at Iran would be “catastrophic for the region and for the whole system of international relations.”

The warning came in the wake of an announcement by the United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency that it had failed to win Iran's cooperation in allowing the IAEA to monitor its nuclear development activities.

Israel has repeatedly warned the United States, Europe, the United Nations and others that Iran is hurtling towards its goal of becoming a nuclear threat to the entire world, and has been developing atomic weapons of mass destruction.